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J. E. BLAOKMORE. TONGS FOR STRETCHING WIRE.

Patented Feb. v18, 1896.

, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. BLACKMORE, OF COUNCIL BLUFFS, lOl/VA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO G. W. PANGLE, OF SAME PLACE.

ToNcs FOR S'TRETCHING WIRE.

SFECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,810, dated. February 18, 1896.

Application filed November 2,1895. Serial No. 567,671. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. BLACKMORE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Council Bluffs, in the county of Pottawattamie and State of Iowa, have invented Tongs for Stretching Wires, of which the following is a speciiication.

My object is to provide a means for holding and stretching wires in positions where it is impracticable to apply the machines and devices generally used for stretching fencewires; and my invention consists in the tongs hereinafter1 set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top view Of my tongs in position relative to a fixed fence-post as required to stretch a wire that is to be fastened to the post. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the jaws open. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the jaws closed upon a wire as required to hold the wire fast.

A and B are legs pivoted together in a crossed position and common way by means of a rivet or screw-bolt and nut in such a manner that their small and free ends will overlie each other.

C is a long straight jaw formed integral with the leg A. It has a lateral pointed extension D at its free end and a longitudinal groove f in the center of its inner face.

G is a correspondingly long straight jaw of triangular shape in its cross-section, formed integral with the end of the leg B in such a manner that it will overlie the jaw C and allow its convex edge to enter the concave groove f in the jaw C when the two jaws are closed together upon a wire to bend and clamp the wire fast, as shown in Fig. 3, and as required to prevent the wire from slipping when the tongs are used as a lever of the second order to stretch a wire in making or repairing a fence or for other purposes.

G2 is a pointed extension on the end of the jaw G adapted to overlie the inner face of the extension D of the jaw Cf H is a link pivoted to the end of the leg A in such a manner that it will readilly swing over the overlapping end of the leg B to enter one of the series of notches l 2 3, formed in the top edge of said overlapping end, as

-clearly shown in Fig. l, and as required to lock the tongs when a wire is clasped in the jaws to be stretched.

In the practical use of my invention I clamp a wire fast in the jaws, place the points of the lateral extensions D and G2 against a post, as illustrated in Fig. 1, andthen press or pull the long arm of the lever7 or united legs A and B, away from the post to draw the wire around the corner of the post to stretch it and hold it until fastened to the post by means of staples or in any suitable way. A wire close to the ground can be thus stretched by means of my tongs as readily as at the upper portion of a post, and this desideratum is greatly advantageous in making hog-proof fences. A wire can also be readily reached and held and pulled upward or downward with my tongs, in place of taking hold of the wire direct with the hands, as has frequently been necessary in making fences over inclined planes and uneven surfaces.

I claim as my inventionl. An implement for stretching fence-wires, comprising a lever composed of two legs pivoted together in a crossed position and one of and the other leg provided with a corresponding jaw that is triangular-shaped in crosssection to enter said groove and each jaw terminating with a point extending at right angles, and means for fastening the free ends of the pivoted legs together.

2. The leg A having a straight jaw C terminating in pointed right-angled extension D and provided with a longitudinal groove f in its inner face,the leg B, havinga jaw G adapted to enter the said groove in the mating jaw, and terminating in a pointed extension G2, and notches l, 2, 3, in the free end of the leg, and a link H pivoted to the free end of the leg A, arranged and combined in the manner set forth for the purposes stated.

JOI-IN F.. BLACKMORE. 

